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Dixie Dean

William Ralph "Dixie" Dean (22 January 1907 – 1 March 1980) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward. Dean holds the record for the most goals scored in a single season in top-flight English football, with 60. He is regarded as one of the greatest centre-forwards of all time and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.[3]

Dixie Dean
Dean at Goodison Park while playing for Everton
Personal information
Full name William Ralph Dean
Date of birth (1907-01-22)22 January 1907[1]
Place of birth Birkenhead, Wirral, England
Date of death 1 March 1980(1980-03-01) (aged 73)
Place of death Goodison Park, Liverpool, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Centre forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1923–1925 Tranmere Rovers 30 (27)
1925–1937 Everton 399 (349)
1938–1939 Notts County 9 (3)
1939 Sligo Rovers 7 (10)
1940 Hurst 2 (1)
Total 447 (390)
International career
1927–1932 England 16 (18)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Born in Birkenhead, he began his career at his hometown club Tranmere Rovers before moving on to Everton, the club he had supported as a child. A prolific goalscorer, he was particularly known for having a penchant for scoring goals with his head, courtesy of his elevation and athleticism, as well as his powerful and accurate heading ability, which has led pundits to describe him as one of the greatest aerial specialists of all time.[3][4][5][6] Dean played the majority of his career at Everton before injuries caught up with him and he moved on to new challenges at Notts County, and eventually Sligo Rovers.

Dixie Dean is best known for his exploits during the 1927–28 season, which saw him score a record 60 league goals. He played in 39 of Everton’s 42 games that season. Everton scored 102 league goals in 1927-28 and won the title with 53 points, two points ahead of Huddersfield with 51. At that time, it was two points for a win. With three points for a win, Everton would have got 73 points.

He scored 18 goals in 16 appearances for England.

A statue of Dean was unveiled outside Goodison Park in May 2001. A year later, he became one of 22 players inducted into the inaugural English Football Hall of Fame. In the 1933 FA Cup Final against Manchester City, Dean became the first ever footballer to wear the number 9 shirt.[7]

Early years edit

Dean was born at 313 Laird Street in Birkenhead, Cheshire, across the River Mersey from Liverpool. Dean's family on both sides hailed from Chester. He was the grandson of Ralph Brett, a train driver who drove the royal train during the reign of George V. Dean grew up as a supporter of Everton thanks to the efforts of his father, William Sr., who took him to a match during the 1914–1915 title-winning season.

Dean's childhood coincided with the First World War, and between the ages of seven and eleven he delivered cow's milk to local families as part of the war effort: "Well, it was war time you see, so you were grafting all the time. I used to take milk out. I'd be up at half-past four in the morning and go down and get the ponies and the milk floats, then I'd come out to this place in Upton, between Upton and Arrowe Park, and Burgess' Farm was there. We used to collect the milk in the big urns and take it out to people's houses, serving it out of the ladle. And not only that, you had an allotment, and that was in school time. And there was no such thing as pinching and stealing and all that bloody caper. In those days, you were growing all that stuff and you needed it for the war time."[8]

Dean attended Laird Street School,[9] but felt he received no formal education: "My only lesson was football ... I used to give the pens out on Friday afternoons ... the ink, and the chalks. That was the only job I had in school ... I never had any lessons."[8] When he turned eleven he attended Albert (Memorial) Industrial School, a borstal school in Birkenhead, because of the football facilities on offer. The Dean family home had little room for him due to the family's size; Dean was happy with the arrangement, since he could play on the school's football team.[9] Dean falsely told fellow pupils he had been caught stealing, since he wanted to be "one of the boys".[citation needed]

He left school at fourteen and worked for Wirral Railway as an apprentice fitter; his father also worked there, and had been working since he was eleven years old[8] for Great Western Railway. The elder Dean later became a train driver before moving to Birkenhead to work for Wirral Railway, to be closer to his future wife (and William Jr.'s mother) Sarah. Dean's father would later retire with the company.[9]

Dean took a night job so that he could concentrate on his first love, football: "The other two apprentice fitters, they didn't like the night job because there were too many bloody rats around there, coming out of the Anglo-Oil company and the Vacuum Oil Company  ... rats as big as whippets. So I took their night job, and of course, I could always have a game of football then."[8] Dean would kick the trespassing rats against the wall.

The sons of Dean's manager at Wirral Railway were directors of New Brighton, and they were interested in signing Dean. However, Dean told the club he was not interested in signing and instead played for local team Pensby United in Pensby. It was at Pensby United where Dean attracted the attention of a Tranmere Rovers scout.[8]

"Dixie" nickname edit

Some said that Dean and his family disliked his nickname, and preferred people to call him "Bill" or "Billy". The popular theory regarding how Dean acquired his nickname is that he did so in his youth, perhaps due to his dark complexion and hair (which bore a resemblance to people from the Southern United States).[10] In Dean's obituary in The Times, Geoffrey Green suggested that the nickname was taken from a "Dixie" song that was popular during Dean's childhood; there was "something of the Uncle Tom about his features".[11]

Alternatively, Tranmere Rovers club historian Gilbert Upton uncovered evidence, verified by Dean's Godmother, that the name "Dixie" was a corruption of his childhood nickname, Digsy (acquired from his approach to the children's game of tag, where Dean would dig his fist into a girl's back— hence "Digsy").[12]

Club career edit

Tranmere Rovers edit

He played football for Laird Street School, Moreton Bible Class, Heswall and Pensby United. He then joined the pro ranks with his local club, Tranmere Rovers in November 1923. He was sixteen at the time.

Whilst at Tranmere, he was on the receiving end of a tough challenge which resulted in him losing a testicle in a reserve game against Altrincham.[13][14] Immediately following the challenge, a teammate rubbed the area to ease the pain. Dean shouted "Don't rub 'em, count 'em!"[15]

In his sixteen months at Tranmere, spanning seasons 1923/24 and 1924/25, he scored 27 goals in 30 league appearances. All 27 were in the second of those two seasons in which he averaged exactly a goal per game. His exploits attracted the interest of many clubs across England, including Arsenal and Newcastle United.[8] Upon leaving Tranmere Rovers, secretary Bert Cooke reneged on an agreement to pay ten percent of the transfer fee to Dean. Dean was paid one percent of the fee, which he gave to his parents (who donated it to Birkenhead General Hospital).

Everton edit

His father had taken him to a league game at Goodison Park when he was eight years old. It was a dream come true for Dean when Everton secretary Thomas H. McIntosh arranged to meet him at the Woodside Hotel in 1925. Dean was so excited that he ran the 2.5 miles (4.0 km) distance from his home in north Birkenhead to the riverside to meet him.[8] He signed for Everton in March 1925 having just turned 18.

He later revealed that he expected a £300 signing fee to be given to his parents when he transferred to Everton. They received only £30, and Tranmere Rovers manager Bert Cooke told him "that's all the League will allow". Dean appealed to John McKenna, chairman of the Football Association, but was told "I'm afraid you've signed, and that's it."[8] Dean signed for Everton in March 1925 for £3,000, then a record fee received for any Third Division player, any 18-year old, and any Tranmere Rovers player.[16] He made his debut away to Arsenal, and scored his first Everton goal later that month, at home to Aston Villa.[16] He scored 32 goals in his first full season, 1925-26, benefiting from a change to the offside law.[16] A motorcycling accident at Holywell in north Wales in summer 1926 left Dean with a fractured skull and jaw, and doctors were unsure whether he would be able to play again.[16] In his next game for Everton he scored using his head, leading Evertonians to joke that the doctor left a metal plate in Dean's head. He rejoined the first team in October 1926, scoring in his first game back, away to Leeds United.[16] Dean finished the 1926–27 season with 21 goals from 27 games as Everton avoided relegation by a single place.[16]

Dean's greatest point of note is that he is still the only player in English football to score 60 league goals in one season (1927–28).[17][18] At that season's end he was 21 years old. Middlesbrough's George Camsell, who holds the highest goals-to-games ratio for England, had scored 59 league goals the previous season, although this was in the Second Division.

In that 1927–28 season Everton won the First Division title. When they were relegated to Second Division in 1930 Dean stayed with them. The club went on to immediately win the Second Division in 1931, followed by the First Division again in 1932. They then immediately won the FA Cup in 1933 (in which he scored in the final) – a sequence unmatched since.

In December 1933, Dean issued a public appeal to have stolen goods returned to him. The Times issued a statement: "Dixie Dean, the Everton and England forward appeals to the thief who robbed him of an international cap and presentation clock to return them. His house in Caldy Road, Walton, Liverpool was entered in his absence over Christmas, and the thief left behind gold watches and jewelry (sic)."[19] By then, Dean was captain of the side. However, the harsh physical demands of the game (as it was played then) took their toll and he was dropped from the first team in 1937.

Dean's 310 First Division goals for Everton remain as the record for most goals for a single club in English football's top tier.[20]

Later teams edit

Dean went on to play for Notts County for one season, in which he scored three goals in nine games. At age 32, Dean signed for Irish team Sligo Rovers in January 1939 to help the club in their FAI Cup campaign. On his arrival, the railway station in Sligo was said to be filled with locals trying to catch a glimpse of him. Dean scored ten goals in seven games for the club,[21] including five in a 7–1 win over Waterford (which remains a club record for the most goals scored in a single game). He also played in four Cup matches, scoring once (in the 1–1 final against Shelbourne, who won the replay 1–0). Dean's runner-up medal was later stolen from his hotel room; on a return trip to Ireland to watch Rovers 39 years later in the 1978 FAI Cup final, a package was delivered to his hotel room with the medal inside. He is considered a legend at The Showgrounds and is featured in the club's outdoor museum.

Dean ended his professional playing days with Hurst (now Ashton United) in the Cheshire County League 1939–40 season, managing two games (and one goal) before the outbreak of war truncated his career. He made his debut in a 4–0 loss to Stalybridge Celtic; 5,600 people attended the game, paying sixpence, earning the club gate receipts of £140.[22]

International career edit

Dean made his debut for the England national football team against British rivals Wales at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham in February 1927, less than a month after his 20th birthday. His final game for England came in a 1–0 victory over Ireland in October 1932 at Blackpool's Bloomfield Road, when Dean was 25 years old.

Dean was involved in the 1927 and 1929 editions of the British Home Championship. During the 1927 edition, Dean scored four goals in his two games for England and scored twice against Scotland at Hampden Park. Despite the loss, the Scots won the competition overall and applauded Dean (who finished the tournament as top scorer). In the 1929 edition, he scored in his only outing against Ireland at Goodison Park.

The only international competitions outside the British Home Championship during Dean's international career were the 1928 and 1936 Olympic Games and the inaugural FIFA World Cup, which took place in 1930; however, neither Great Britain nor England participated. Dean represented England sixteen times, scoring eighteen goals in nine games (including hat-tricks against Belgium and Luxembourg).

 
Dean in a 1928 newspaper advertisement for Wix Cigarettes

Later life and death edit

Dean became a Freemason in 1931 while playing for Everton and England. He was initiated in Randle Holme Lodge, No. 3261, in Birkenhead on 18 February 1931.[23] After retiring, he went on to run the Dublin Packet pub in Chester (Everton and the Dublin Packet commemorate this with memorabilia) and work at Littlewoods football pools as a porter at their Walton Hall Avenue offices, where he was remembered by fellow workers as a quiet, unassuming man.

In January 1972, Dean was admitted to St Catherine's hospital in Birkenhead suffering from the effects of influenza[24] and was released a month later.[25] In November 1976, he had his right leg amputated due to a blood clot; his health was declining, and he became increasingly housebound. Dean died on 1 March 1980 at age 73 after suffering a heart attack at Everton's home ground Goodison Park whilst watching a match against their closest rivals, Liverpool. It was the first time that he had visited Goodison Park in several years, due to ill health. "He belongs to the company of the supremely great, like Beethoven, Shakespeare and Rembrandt", said Bill Shankly.[26] His funeral took place at St James' Church on Laird Street (the street where he was born) in Birkenhead.[27] He was survived by his four children: William, Geoffrey, Ralph and Barbara;[28] he outlived his wife Ethel, who died of a heart attack in 1974 after 43 years of marriage.[29]

Legacy edit

 
Dixie Dean statue outside Goodison Park

Dean was an internationally known figure. Military records show that during the Second World War, an Italian prisoner of war was captured by British troops in the Western Desert and told his captors "fuck your Winston Churchill and fuck your Dixie Dean".[30] One of the soldiers present was Liverpool-born Patrick Connelly, who later went into show business using the pseudonym "Bill Dean".[30]

Everton arranged a testimonial for Dean on 7 April 1964. Over 34,000 people saw teams from Scotland and England (composed of players from Everton and Liverpool) compete;[31] The "Scots" (with one Englishman and one Welshman) won, 3–1.[32]

The match raised £7,000 for Dean.

Dean's 1933 FA Cup winners medal sold for £18,213 at auction in March 2001.[33] In May 2001 local sculptor Tom Murphy created a statue of Dean, which was erected outside the Park End of Goodison Park at a cost of £75,000 with the inscription "Footballer, Gentleman, Evertonian".[34] In 2002, Dean was an inaugural inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame.[35] There is an annual Dixie Dean award, which is given to the Merseyside player of the year; it has been won by players from his former clubs (Tranmere and Everton) and Liverpool.[36]

When asked if he thought his record of scoring 60 goals in a season would be broken, Dean said: "People ask me if that 60-goal record will ever be beaten. I think it will. But there's only one man who'll do it. That's the fellow that walks on the water. I think he's about the only one."[28] In total, Dean scored 383 goals for Everton in 433 appearances — an exceptional strike-rate which includes 37 hat-tricks. He was known as a sporting player, never booked or sent off during his career despite rough treatment and provocation from opponents.[37] Only Arthur Rowley has scored more English-league career goals; however, while Rowley made 619 appearances and scored 433 goals (0.70 goals per game) Dean scored 379 goals in 438 games (0.87 goals per game).

In December 1930 and again in October 1931, Dean became the first Everton player to score two hat-tricks in one month of competitive play. His record stood for nearly ninety years until Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalled it in September 2020.[38]

Honours and achievements edit

Everton

Sligo Rovers

England

Individual[40]

Career statistics edit

Club edit

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[44][45][46]
Club Season League FA Cup Charity Shield Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Tranmere Rovers 1923–24 Third Division 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
1924–25 Third Division 27 27 3 0 0 0 30 27
Total 30 27 3 0 0 0 33 27
Everton 1924–25 First Division 7 2 0 0 0 0 7 2
1925–26 First Division 38 32 2 1 0 0 40 33
1926–27 First Division 27 21 4 3 0 0 31 24
1927–28 First Division 39 60 2 3 0 0 41 63
1928–29 First Division 29 26 1 0 1 2 31 28
1929–30 First Division 25 23 2 2 0 0 27 25
1930–31 Second Division 37 39 5 9 0 0 42 48
1931–32 First Division 38 45 1 1 0 0 39 46
1932–33 First Division 39 24 6 5 1 4 46 33
1933–34 First Division 12 9 0 0 0 0 12 9
1934–35 First Division 38 26 5 1 0 0 43 27
1935–36 First Division 29 17 0 0 0 0 29 17
1936–37 First Division 36 24 4 3 0 0 40 27
1937–38 First Division 5 1 0 0 0 0 5 1
Total 399 349 32 28 2 6 433 383
Notts County 1937–38 Third Division 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
1938–39 Third Division 6 3 0 0 0 0 6 3
Total 9 3 0 0 0 0 9 3
Sligo Rovers 1938–39 League of Ireland 7[45] 10 4[citation needed] 1 0 0 11[citation needed] 11
Total 7 10 4 1 0 0 11 11
Hurst[45] 1939–40 Cheshire County League 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 1
Total 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 1
Career total 447 390 39 29 2 6 488 425

International goals edit

Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Dean goal.
List of international goals scored by Dixie Dean
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 12 February 1927 Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales   Wales 1–0 3–3 1926–27 Home Championship [47][48]
2 3–3
3 2 April 1927 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland   Scotland 1–1 2–1 [49]
4 2–1
5 11 May 1927 Molenbeek, Belgium   Belgium 5–0 9–1 International Friendly [50]
6 6–0
7 9–0
8 21 May 1927 Stade de la Frontière, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg   Luxembourg 1–2 5–2 [51]
9 3–2
10 4–2
11 26 May 1927 Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, France   France 2–0 6–0 [52]
12 5–0
13 17 May 1928 Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, France   France 3–1 5–1 [53]
14 4–1
15 19 May 1928 Olympisch Stadion, Antwerp, Belgium   Belgium 1–1 3–1 [54]
16 2–1
17 22 October 1928 Goodison Park, Liverpool, England   Ireland 2–1 2–1 1928–29 Home Championship [55][56]
18 9 December 1931 Arsenal Stadium, London, England   Spain 5–0 7–1 International Friendly [57]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Dixie Dean". The FA. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  2. ^ "League clubs and their players for the coming season. Tranmere Rovers". Athletic News. Manchester. 4 August 1924. p. 3.
  3. ^ a b "Dixie Dean". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  4. ^ "The incomparable Dixie Dean - interview: from the archive, 24 November 1977". The Guardian. 24 November 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  5. ^ Harmer, Alfie Potts (17 January 2019). "7 Best Headers of a Ball of All Time". HITC. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Goal.com's Top 50 English Players: Dixie Dean (12)". www.goal.com. 6 June 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Remembering Everton Legend Dixie Dean, the World's First and Best Number Nine". March 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Roberts, John. "Interview with John Roberts". SportingIntelligence.com. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  9. ^ a b c Keith 2003, p. 10.
  10. ^ Prentice, David (23 January 2007). "Footballing world wakes up to Dixie". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 10 June 2010. [dead link]
  11. ^ Green, Geoffrey. "Mr Dixie Dean". The Times. p. 16.
  12. ^ Upton 1992.
  13. ^ Keith 2003, p. 8.
  14. ^ "The seven deadly sins of football: Wrath – From Big Jack Charlton to the fan's hand grenade at Millwall". The Guardian. 18 May 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  15. ^ "The Joy of Six: revenge: 2) When Dixie Dean lost his patience – and his testicle". The Guardian, 12 April 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  16. ^ a b c d e f McParlan, Paul (5 May 2023). "Erling Haaland has broken a Premier League record but not Dixie Dean's". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  17. ^ "English League Leading Goalscorers 1889–2007". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 14 August 2007.
  18. ^ McParlan, Paul (5 May 2023). "Erling Haaland has broken a Premier League record but not Dixie Dean's". The Guardian.
  19. ^ "News in brief". The Times. 30 December 1933. p. 7.
  20. ^ "Dixie Dean and England's scoring benchmark". FIFA.com. 13 August 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  21. ^ Randles, Dave (9 December 2009). "The cameo that shaped Seamus". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  22. ^ . Ashton United. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  23. ^ Article "The Beautiful Game" by Patrick Kidd and Matthew Scanlan, published in "Freemasonry Today," No.11, Summer 2010
  24. ^ "News in brief". The Times. 20 January 1972. p. 2.
  25. ^ "News in brief". The Times. 21 February 1972. p. 4.
  26. ^ . National Football Museum. 2002. Archived from the original on 3 August 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  27. ^ "News in brief". The Times. 8 March 1980. p. 3.
  28. ^ a b Wilson, Jeremy (6 May 2023). "What would Dixie Dean make of Erling Haaland? He'd tell him: 'Wind your neck in, son!'". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  29. ^ . Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  30. ^ a b Keith 2003, p. 6.
  31. ^ "Dixie Dean Testimonial Programme". evertoncollection.org.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
  32. ^ "Join tribute to "Dixie" Dean". The Times. 8 April 1964. p. 5.
  33. ^ "14ct gold medal". Christies Auction House. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  34. ^ . Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  35. ^ "Everton FC 12 days of Christmas – 12 Hall of Fame legends". Liverpool Daily Post. 24 December 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  36. ^ "Football's finest traditions upheld with Liverpool Echo's Dixie Dean Memorial Award". Liverpool Echo. 17 February 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  37. ^ Winner 2005.
  38. ^ "ToffeeWeb - History - Everton Hat-tricks". www.toffeeweb.com. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  39. ^ "Billy Dean". England Football Online. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  40. ^ "Goal.com's Top 50 English Players: Dixie Dean (12)". Goal.com. 6 January 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
    "Dixie Dean". Legends of Football. 27 January 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  41. ^ "A WHITE-METAL TROPHY". Christie's Auctions. 30 March 2006. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  42. ^ "Dixie Dean". National Football Museum. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  43. ^ Seasonwise World Top Scorer. rsssf.org
  44. ^ Bill 'Dixie' Dean at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  45. ^ a b c "Dixie Dean – National Football Teams". national-football-teams.com. from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  46. ^ "Dixie Dean :: Temporada a temporada" [Dixie Dean – by season]. oGol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  47. ^ . England FC. Archived from the original on 1 May 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  48. ^ "A drawn match at Wrexham". The Times. No. 44505. London. 14 February 1927. col 1, p. 6.
  49. ^ . England FC. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  50. ^ . England FC. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  51. ^ . England FC. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  52. ^ . England FC. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  53. ^ . England FC. Archived from the original on 17 January 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  54. ^ . England FC. Archived from the original on 17 January 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  55. ^ . England FC. Archived from the original on 2 May 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  56. ^ "England beat Ireland". The Times. No. 45031. London. 23 October 1928. col 1, p. 7.
  57. ^ . England FC. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.

Sources edit

  • Keith, John (2003). Dixie Dean: The Inside Story of a Football Icon. Robson Books. ISBN 978-1-86105-632-0.
  • Upton, Gilbert (1992). Dixie Dean of Tranmere Rovers 1923–1925. Gilbert Upton. ISBN 978-0-9518648-1-4.
  • Winner, David (2005). Those Feet: A Sensual History of English Football. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-7475-7914-4.
  • Walsh, Nick (1978). Dixie Dean: The Official Biography of a Goalscoring Legend. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-330-25619-3.
  • Young, Percy M. (1963). Football on Merseyside. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

External links edit

dixie, dean, confused, with, scottish, footballer, british, second, world, pilot, airman, william, ralph, dixie, dean, january, 1907, march, 1980, english, footballer, played, centre, forward, dean, holds, record, most, goals, scored, single, season, flight, e. Not to be confused with the Scottish footballer Dixie Deans or the British Second World War pilot and POW Dixie Deans RAF airman William Ralph Dixie Dean 22 January 1907 1 March 1980 was an English footballer who played as a centre forward Dean holds the record for the most goals scored in a single season in top flight English football with 60 He is regarded as one of the greatest centre forwards of all time and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 3 Dixie DeanDean at Goodison Park while playing for EvertonPersonal informationFull nameWilliam Ralph DeanDate of birth 1907 01 22 22 January 1907 1 Place of birthBirkenhead Wirral EnglandDate of death1 March 1980 1980 03 01 aged 73 Place of deathGoodison Park Liverpool EnglandHeight5 ft 10 in 1 78 m 2 Position s Centre forwardSenior career YearsTeamApps Gls 1923 1925Tranmere Rovers30 27 1925 1937Everton399 349 1938 1939Notts County9 3 1939Sligo Rovers7 10 1940Hurst2 1 Total447 390 International career1927 1932England16 18 Club domestic league appearances and goals Born in Birkenhead he began his career at his hometown club Tranmere Rovers before moving on to Everton the club he had supported as a child A prolific goalscorer he was particularly known for having a penchant for scoring goals with his head courtesy of his elevation and athleticism as well as his powerful and accurate heading ability which has led pundits to describe him as one of the greatest aerial specialists of all time 3 4 5 6 Dean played the majority of his career at Everton before injuries caught up with him and he moved on to new challenges at Notts County and eventually Sligo Rovers Dixie Dean is best known for his exploits during the 1927 28 season which saw him score a record 60 league goals He played in 39 of Everton s 42 games that season Everton scored 102 league goals in 1927 28 and won the title with 53 points two points ahead of Huddersfield with 51 At that time it was two points for a win With three points for a win Everton would have got 73 points He scored 18 goals in 16 appearances for England A statue of Dean was unveiled outside Goodison Park in May 2001 A year later he became one of 22 players inducted into the inaugural English Football Hall of Fame In the 1933 FA Cup Final against Manchester City Dean became the first ever footballer to wear the number 9 shirt 7 Contents 1 Early years 1 1 Dixie nickname 2 Club career 2 1 Tranmere Rovers 2 2 Everton 2 3 Later teams 3 International career 4 Later life and death 5 Legacy 6 Honours and achievements 7 Career statistics 7 1 Club 7 2 International goals 8 See also 9 References 10 Sources 11 External linksEarly years editDean was born at 313 Laird Street in Birkenhead Cheshire across the River Mersey from Liverpool Dean s family on both sides hailed from Chester He was the grandson of Ralph Brett a train driver who drove the royal train during the reign of George V Dean grew up as a supporter of Everton thanks to the efforts of his father William Sr who took him to a match during the 1914 1915 title winning season Dean s childhood coincided with the First World War and between the ages of seven and eleven he delivered cow s milk to local families as part of the war effort Well it was war time you see so you were grafting all the time I used to take milk out I d be up at half past four in the morning and go down and get the ponies and the milk floats then I d come out to this place in Upton between Upton and Arrowe Park and Burgess Farm was there We used to collect the milk in the big urns and take it out to people s houses serving it out of the ladle And not only that you had an allotment and that was in school time And there was no such thing as pinching and stealing and all that bloody caper In those days you were growing all that stuff and you needed it for the war time 8 Dean attended Laird Street School 9 but felt he received no formal education My only lesson was football I used to give the pens out on Friday afternoons the ink and the chalks That was the only job I had in school I never had any lessons 8 When he turned eleven he attended Albert Memorial Industrial School a borstal school in Birkenhead because of the football facilities on offer The Dean family home had little room for him due to the family s size Dean was happy with the arrangement since he could play on the school s football team 9 Dean falsely told fellow pupils he had been caught stealing since he wanted to be one of the boys citation needed He left school at fourteen and worked for Wirral Railway as an apprentice fitter his father also worked there and had been working since he was eleven years old 8 for Great Western Railway The elder Dean later became a train driver before moving to Birkenhead to work for Wirral Railway to be closer to his future wife and William Jr s mother Sarah Dean s father would later retire with the company 9 Dean took a night job so that he could concentrate on his first love football The other two apprentice fitters they didn t like the night job because there were too many bloody rats around there coming out of the Anglo Oil company and the Vacuum Oil Company rats as big as whippets So I took their night job and of course I could always have a game of football then 8 Dean would kick the trespassing rats against the wall The sons of Dean s manager at Wirral Railway were directors of New Brighton and they were interested in signing Dean However Dean told the club he was not interested in signing and instead played for local team Pensby United in Pensby It was at Pensby United where Dean attracted the attention of a Tranmere Rovers scout 8 Dixie nickname edit Some said that Dean and his family disliked his nickname and preferred people to call him Bill or Billy The popular theory regarding how Dean acquired his nickname is that he did so in his youth perhaps due to his dark complexion and hair which bore a resemblance to people from the Southern United States 10 In Dean s obituary in The Times Geoffrey Green suggested that the nickname was taken from a Dixie song that was popular during Dean s childhood there was something of the Uncle Tom about his features 11 Alternatively Tranmere Rovers club historian Gilbert Upton uncovered evidence verified by Dean s Godmother that the name Dixie was a corruption of his childhood nickname Digsy acquired from his approach to the children s game of tag where Dean would dig his fist into a girl s back hence Digsy 12 Club career editTranmere Rovers edit He played football for Laird Street School Moreton Bible Class Heswall and Pensby United He then joined the pro ranks with his local club Tranmere Rovers in November 1923 He was sixteen at the time Whilst at Tranmere he was on the receiving end of a tough challenge which resulted in him losing a testicle in a reserve game against Altrincham 13 14 Immediately following the challenge a teammate rubbed the area to ease the pain Dean shouted Don t rub em count em 15 In his sixteen months at Tranmere spanning seasons 1923 24 and 1924 25 he scored 27 goals in 30 league appearances All 27 were in the second of those two seasons in which he averaged exactly a goal per game His exploits attracted the interest of many clubs across England including Arsenal and Newcastle United 8 Upon leaving Tranmere Rovers secretary Bert Cooke reneged on an agreement to pay ten percent of the transfer fee to Dean Dean was paid one percent of the fee which he gave to his parents who donated it to Birkenhead General Hospital Everton edit His father had taken him to a league game at Goodison Park when he was eight years old It was a dream come true for Dean when Everton secretary Thomas H McIntosh arranged to meet him at the Woodside Hotel in 1925 Dean was so excited that he ran the 2 5 miles 4 0 km distance from his home in north Birkenhead to the riverside to meet him 8 He signed for Everton in March 1925 having just turned 18 He later revealed that he expected a 300 signing fee to be given to his parents when he transferred to Everton They received only 30 and Tranmere Rovers manager Bert Cooke told him that s all the League will allow Dean appealed to John McKenna chairman of the Football Association but was told I m afraid you ve signed and that s it 8 Dean signed for Everton in March 1925 for 3 000 then a record fee received for any Third Division player any 18 year old and any Tranmere Rovers player 16 He made his debut away to Arsenal and scored his first Everton goal later that month at home to Aston Villa 16 He scored 32 goals in his first full season 1925 26 benefiting from a change to the offside law 16 A motorcycling accident at Holywell in north Wales in summer 1926 left Dean with a fractured skull and jaw and doctors were unsure whether he would be able to play again 16 In his next game for Everton he scored using his head leading Evertonians to joke that the doctor left a metal plate in Dean s head He rejoined the first team in October 1926 scoring in his first game back away to Leeds United 16 Dean finished the 1926 27 season with 21 goals from 27 games as Everton avoided relegation by a single place 16 Dean s greatest point of note is that he is still the only player in English football to score 60 league goals in one season 1927 28 17 18 At that season s end he was 21 years old Middlesbrough s George Camsell who holds the highest goals to games ratio for England had scored 59 league goals the previous season although this was in the Second Division In that 1927 28 season Everton won the First Division title When they were relegated to Second Division in 1930 Dean stayed with them The club went on to immediately win the Second Division in 1931 followed by the First Division again in 1932 They then immediately won the FA Cup in 1933 in which he scored in the final a sequence unmatched since In December 1933 Dean issued a public appeal to have stolen goods returned to him The Times issued a statement Dixie Dean the Everton and England forward appeals to the thief who robbed him of an international cap and presentation clock to return them His house in Caldy Road Walton Liverpool was entered in his absence over Christmas and the thief left behind gold watches and jewelry sic 19 By then Dean was captain of the side However the harsh physical demands of the game as it was played then took their toll and he was dropped from the first team in 1937 Dean s 310 First Division goals for Everton remain as the record for most goals for a single club in English football s top tier 20 Later teams edit Dean went on to play for Notts County for one season in which he scored three goals in nine games At age 32 Dean signed for Irish team Sligo Rovers in January 1939 to help the club in their FAI Cup campaign On his arrival the railway station in Sligo was said to be filled with locals trying to catch a glimpse of him Dean scored ten goals in seven games for the club 21 including five in a 7 1 win over Waterford which remains a club record for the most goals scored in a single game He also played in four Cup matches scoring once in the 1 1 final against Shelbourne who won the replay 1 0 Dean s runner up medal was later stolen from his hotel room on a return trip to Ireland to watch Rovers 39 years later in the 1978 FAI Cup final a package was delivered to his hotel room with the medal inside He is considered a legend at The Showgrounds and is featured in the club s outdoor museum Dean ended his professional playing days with Hurst now Ashton United in the Cheshire County League 1939 40 season managing two games and one goal before the outbreak of war truncated his career He made his debut in a 4 0 loss to Stalybridge Celtic 5 600 people attended the game paying sixpence earning the club gate receipts of 140 22 International career editDean made his debut for the England national football team against British rivals Wales at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham in February 1927 less than a month after his 20th birthday His final game for England came in a 1 0 victory over Ireland in October 1932 at Blackpool s Bloomfield Road when Dean was 25 years old Dean was involved in the 1927 and 1929 editions of the British Home Championship During the 1927 edition Dean scored four goals in his two games for England and scored twice against Scotland at Hampden Park Despite the loss the Scots won the competition overall and applauded Dean who finished the tournament as top scorer In the 1929 edition he scored in his only outing against Ireland at Goodison Park The only international competitions outside the British Home Championship during Dean s international career were the 1928 and 1936 Olympic Games and the inaugural FIFA World Cup which took place in 1930 however neither Great Britain nor England participated Dean represented England sixteen times scoring eighteen goals in nine games including hat tricks against Belgium and Luxembourg nbsp Dean in a 1928 newspaper advertisement for Wix CigarettesLater life and death editDean became a Freemason in 1931 while playing for Everton and England He was initiated in Randle Holme Lodge No 3261 in Birkenhead on 18 February 1931 23 After retiring he went on to run the Dublin Packet pub in Chester Everton and the Dublin Packet commemorate this with memorabilia and work at Littlewoods football pools as a porter at their Walton Hall Avenue offices where he was remembered by fellow workers as a quiet unassuming man In January 1972 Dean was admitted to St Catherine s hospital in Birkenhead suffering from the effects of influenza 24 and was released a month later 25 In November 1976 he had his right leg amputated due to a blood clot his health was declining and he became increasingly housebound Dean died on 1 March 1980 at age 73 after suffering a heart attack at Everton s home ground Goodison Park whilst watching a match against their closest rivals Liverpool It was the first time that he had visited Goodison Park in several years due to ill health He belongs to the company of the supremely great like Beethoven Shakespeare and Rembrandt said Bill Shankly 26 His funeral took place at St James Church on Laird Street the street where he was born in Birkenhead 27 He was survived by his four children William Geoffrey Ralph and Barbara 28 he outlived his wife Ethel who died of a heart attack in 1974 after 43 years of marriage 29 Legacy edit nbsp Dixie Dean statue outside Goodison Park Dean was an internationally known figure Military records show that during the Second World War an Italian prisoner of war was captured by British troops in the Western Desert and told his captors fuck your Winston Churchill and fuck your Dixie Dean 30 One of the soldiers present was Liverpool born Patrick Connelly who later went into show business using the pseudonym Bill Dean 30 Everton arranged a testimonial for Dean on 7 April 1964 Over 34 000 people saw teams from Scotland and England composed of players from Everton and Liverpool compete 31 The Scots with one Englishman and one Welshman won 3 1 32 The match raised 7 000 for Dean Testimonial team rosters England Scotland Rankin Lawrence Byrne Brown Moran Thompson Eng Harris Gabriel Labone Yeats Kay Stevenson Callaghan Scott Stevens St John Pickering Young Temple Vernon Wal Morrissey Wallace Dean s 1933 FA Cup winners medal sold for 18 213 at auction in March 2001 33 In May 2001 local sculptor Tom Murphy created a statue of Dean which was erected outside the Park End of Goodison Park at a cost of 75 000 with the inscription Footballer Gentleman Evertonian 34 In 2002 Dean was an inaugural inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame 35 There is an annual Dixie Dean award which is given to the Merseyside player of the year it has been won by players from his former clubs Tranmere and Everton and Liverpool 36 When asked if he thought his record of scoring 60 goals in a season would be broken Dean said People ask me if that 60 goal record will ever be beaten I think it will But there s only one man who ll do it That s the fellow that walks on the water I think he s about the only one 28 In total Dean scored 383 goals for Everton in 433 appearances an exceptional strike rate which includes 37 hat tricks He was known as a sporting player never booked or sent off during his career despite rough treatment and provocation from opponents 37 Only Arthur Rowley has scored more English league career goals however while Rowley made 619 appearances and scored 433 goals 0 70 goals per game Dean scored 379 goals in 438 games 0 87 goals per game In December 1930 and again in October 1931 Dean became the first Everton player to score two hat tricks in one month of competitive play His record stood for nearly ninety years until Dominic Calvert Lewin equalled it in September 2020 38 Honours and achievements editEverton Football League First Division 1927 28 1931 32 Second Division Championship 1930 31 FA Charity Shield 1928 1932 FA Cup 1932 33 Sligo Rovers League of Ireland runners up 1938 39 FAI Cup runners up 1938 39 England British Home Championship 1926 27 shared 1931 32 shared 39 Individual 40 England Caps 16 England Goals 18 Football League Representative appearances 6 Football League Representative goals 9 English Top Division Golden Boot 1927 28 1931 32 Second Division Championship Top Goalscorer 1930 31 Sunday Pictorial Trophy 60 league goals in 1927 28 Lewis s Medal Commemorate 200 league goals in 199 appearances Hall of Fame Trophy 1971 41 Football Writers Association inscribed silver salver 1976 English Football Hall of Fame Inaugural inductee 2002 42 Most goals in an English top flight season 60 1927 28 Seasonwise World Top Scorer 1927 28 60 goals 43 Career statistics editClub edit Appearances and goals by club season and competition 44 45 46 Club Season League FA Cup Charity Shield Total Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Tranmere Rovers 1923 24 Third Division 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1924 25 Third Division 27 27 3 0 0 0 30 27 Total 30 27 3 0 0 0 33 27 Everton 1924 25 First Division 7 2 0 0 0 0 7 2 1925 26 First Division 38 32 2 1 0 0 40 33 1926 27 First Division 27 21 4 3 0 0 31 24 1927 28 First Division 39 60 2 3 0 0 41 63 1928 29 First Division 29 26 1 0 1 2 31 28 1929 30 First Division 25 23 2 2 0 0 27 25 1930 31 Second Division 37 39 5 9 0 0 42 48 1931 32 First Division 38 45 1 1 0 0 39 46 1932 33 First Division 39 24 6 5 1 4 46 33 1933 34 First Division 12 9 0 0 0 0 12 9 1934 35 First Division 38 26 5 1 0 0 43 27 1935 36 First Division 29 17 0 0 0 0 29 17 1936 37 First Division 36 24 4 3 0 0 40 27 1937 38 First Division 5 1 0 0 0 0 5 1 Total 399 349 32 28 2 6 433 383 Notts County 1937 38 Third Division 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1938 39 Third Division 6 3 0 0 0 0 6 3 Total 9 3 0 0 0 0 9 3 Sligo Rovers 1938 39 League of Ireland 7 45 10 4 citation needed 1 0 0 11 citation needed 11 Total 7 10 4 1 0 0 11 11 Hurst 45 1939 40 Cheshire County League 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 Total 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 Career total 447 390 39 29 2 6 488 425 International goals edit Scores and results list England s goal tally first score column indicates score after each Dean goal List of international goals scored by Dixie Dean No Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref 1 12 February 1927 Racecourse Ground Wrexham Wales nbsp Wales 1 0 3 3 1926 27 Home Championship 47 48 2 3 3 3 2 April 1927 Hampden Park Glasgow Scotland nbsp Scotland 1 1 2 1 49 4 2 1 5 11 May 1927 Molenbeek Belgium nbsp Belgium 5 0 9 1 International Friendly 50 6 6 0 7 9 0 8 21 May 1927 Stade de la Frontiere Esch sur Alzette Luxembourg nbsp Luxembourg 1 2 5 2 51 9 3 2 10 4 2 11 26 May 1927 Stade Olympique Yves du Manoir Colombes France nbsp France 2 0 6 0 52 12 5 0 13 17 May 1928 Stade Olympique Yves du Manoir Colombes France nbsp France 3 1 5 1 53 14 4 1 15 19 May 1928 Olympisch Stadion Antwerp Belgium nbsp Belgium 1 1 3 1 54 16 2 1 17 22 October 1928 Goodison Park Liverpool England nbsp Ireland 2 1 2 1 1928 29 Home Championship 55 56 18 9 December 1931 Arsenal Stadium London England nbsp Spain 5 0 7 1 International Friendly 57 See also editList of English football first tier top scorers List of men s footballers with 500 or more goalsReferences edit Dixie Dean The FA Retrieved 9 June 2010 League clubs and their players for the coming season Tranmere Rovers Athletic News Manchester 4 August 1924 p 3 a b Dixie Dean Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 15 May 2021 The incomparable Dixie Dean interview from the archive 24 November 1977 The Guardian 24 November 2014 Retrieved 15 May 2021 Harmer Alfie Potts 17 January 2019 7 Best Headers of a Ball of All Time HITC Retrieved 15 May 2021 Goal com s Top 50 English Players Dixie Dean 12 www goal com 6 June 2009 Retrieved 15 May 2021 Remembering Everton Legend Dixie Dean the World s First and Best Number Nine March 2022 a b c d e f g h Roberts John Interview with John Roberts SportingIntelligence com Retrieved 9 June 2010 a b c Keith 2003 p 10 Prentice David 23 January 2007 Footballing world wakes up to Dixie Liverpool Echo Retrieved 10 June 2010 dead link Green Geoffrey Mr Dixie Dean The Times p 16 Upton 1992 Keith 2003 p 8 The seven deadly sins of football Wrath From Big Jack Charlton to the fan s hand grenade at Millwall The Guardian 18 May 2009 Retrieved 9 June 2010 The Joy of Six revenge 2 When Dixie Dean lost his patience and his testicle The Guardian 12 April 2013 Retrieved 26 September 2021 a b c d e f McParlan Paul 5 May 2023 Erling Haaland has broken a Premier League record but not Dixie Dean s The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 5 May 2023 English League Leading Goalscorers 1889 2007 Rec Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation Retrieved 14 August 2007 McParlan Paul 5 May 2023 Erling Haaland has broken a Premier League record but not Dixie Dean s The Guardian News in brief The Times 30 December 1933 p 7 Dixie Dean and England s scoring benchmark FIFA com 13 August 2023 Retrieved 26 April 2024 Randles Dave 9 December 2009 The cameo that shaped Seamus Liverpool Echo Retrieved 9 June 2010 Dixie Dean Ashton United Archived from the original on 27 February 2012 Retrieved 9 June 2010 Article The Beautiful Game by Patrick Kidd and Matthew Scanlan published in Freemasonry Today No 11 Summer 2010 News in brief The Times 20 January 1972 p 2 News in brief The Times 21 February 1972 p 4 Hall of fame inductee Dixie Dean National Football Museum 2002 Archived from the original on 3 August 2009 Retrieved 9 June 2010 News in brief The Times 8 March 1980 p 3 a b Wilson Jeremy 6 May 2023 What would Dixie Dean make of Erling Haaland He d tell him Wind your neck in son The Daily Telegraph ISSN 0307 1235 Retrieved 9 September 2023 Bluekipper com Everton FC Dixie Dean Legend Archived from the original on 20 August 2011 Retrieved 26 January 2012 a b Keith 2003 p 6 Dixie Dean Testimonial Programme evertoncollection org uk Retrieved 10 June 2010 Join tribute to Dixie Dean The Times 8 April 1964 p 5 14ct gold medal Christies Auction House Retrieved 28 March 2011 Tom Murphy Dixie Dean Archived from the original on 6 March 2012 Retrieved 9 June 2010 Everton FC 12 days of Christmas 12 Hall of Fame legends Liverpool Daily Post 24 December 2010 Retrieved 1 February 2011 Football s finest traditions upheld with Liverpool Echo s Dixie Dean Memorial Award Liverpool Echo 17 February 2010 Retrieved 9 June 2010 Winner 2005 ToffeeWeb History Everton Hat tricks www toffeeweb com Retrieved 1 October 2020 Billy Dean England Football Online Retrieved 12 April 2021 Goal com s Top 50 English Players Dixie Dean 12 Goal com 6 January 2009 Retrieved 12 April 2021 Dixie Dean Legends of Football 27 January 2010 Retrieved 12 April 2021 A WHITE METAL TROPHY Christie s Auctions 30 March 2006 Retrieved 12 April 2021 Dixie Dean National Football Museum Retrieved 12 April 2021 Seasonwise World Top Scorer rsssf org Bill Dixie Dean at the English National Football Archive subscription required a b c Dixie Dean National Football Teams national football teams com Archived from the original on 4 August 2023 Retrieved 4 August 2023 Dixie Dean Temporada a temporada Dixie Dean by season oGol com br in Brazilian Portuguese Archived from the original on 4 August 2023 Retrieved 4 August 2023 EnglandFC Match Data England FC Archived from the original on 1 May 2010 Retrieved 9 June 2010 A drawn match at Wrexham The Times No 44505 London 14 February 1927 col 1 p 6 EnglandFC Match Data England FC Archived from the original on 29 November 2010 Retrieved 9 June 2010 EnglandFC Match Data England FC Archived from the original on 4 January 2010 Retrieved 9 June 2010 EnglandFC Match Data England FC Archived from the original on 29 November 2010 Retrieved 9 June 2010 EnglandFC Match Data England FC Archived from the original on 29 November 2010 Retrieved 9 June 2010 EnglandFC Match Data England FC Archived from the original on 17 January 2010 Retrieved 9 June 2010 EnglandFC Match Data England FC Archived from the original on 17 January 2010 Retrieved 9 June 2010 EnglandFC Match Data England FC Archived from the original on 2 May 2010 Retrieved 9 June 2010 England beat Ireland The Times No 45031 London 23 October 1928 col 1 p 7 EnglandFC Match Data England FC Archived from the original on 29 November 2010 Retrieved 9 June 2010 Sources editKeith John 2003 Dixie Dean The Inside Story of a Football Icon Robson Books ISBN 978 1 86105 632 0 Upton Gilbert 1992 Dixie Dean of Tranmere Rovers 1923 1925 Gilbert Upton ISBN 978 0 9518648 1 4 Winner David 2005 Those Feet A Sensual History of English Football London Bloomsbury ISBN 978 0 7475 7914 4 Walsh Nick 1978 Dixie Dean The Official Biography of a Goalscoring Legend Macmillan ISBN 978 0 330 25619 3 Young Percy M 1963 Football on Merseyside London a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dixie Dean Dixie Dean at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dixie Dean amp oldid 1220798010, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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